Wearable electronic hearing aid having the amplifier and the batteries contained in a common casing



s. POSEN 2,482,288 WEARABLE ELECTRONIC HEARING AID HAVING THE AMPLIFIER Sept. 20, 1949.

AND THE BATTERIES CONTAINED IN A COMMON CASING Filed March 17, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. 5am Poserz &

Sept. 20, 1949. s. POSEN 2,482,238

WEARABLE ELECTRONIC HEARING AID HAVING THE AMPLIFIER AND THE BATTERIES CONTAINED IN A COMMON CASING Filed March 17, 1944 1 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /2 4 5 2a 7 2 2e 22 35 32 I732 9 30 54 a I l6 /7 Li mf l 3 I 52 am \l4 flag 5 3 .52

INVENTOR.

F Sam Posen AM-J Patented Sept. 20, 1949 WEARABLE ELECTRONIC HEARING HAVING THE AMPLIFIER AND TH 1 TERIES CONTAINED IN A COMMON CAS- ING Sam Posen, Chicago, 111., assignor to Beltane Hearing Aid 00., Chicago, 111., a corporation or Illinois Application March 17, 1944, Serial No. 526,877

4 Claims. (Cl. 179107) This invention relates to hearing aids of the type to be worn on the body of the user.

Heretofore, wearable hearing aids have been composed of three distinct units, each to be worn on another part of the body. These three units are (1) a receiver to be placed in or close to the ear, (2) an electron tube amplifier together with a microphone arranged in a casing to be worn within the garment of the user, e. g., in a vest pocket, and (3) power supply batteries placed in another casing and to be worn within some other portion of the garment, such as in another pocket thereof. The receiver is electrically connected to the amplifier by means of a cord and likewise there is a connecting cord between the amplifier unit and the battery unit.

It is one of the main objects of this invention to combine the amplifier and the batteries of a hearing aid into a single unit which is small and light enough to be carried on the body. There are known hearing aid sets having the amplifier and the batteries placed in a common carrying case but these sets are of the portable or semi-portable type weighing from five to ten pounds and being in size about equal to an ordinary small table radio set. A set of this kind can be carried on a handle from one place to another, e. g., from one room to another, but of course it could not be worn inconspicuously on the body of the user as is the purpose or a hearing aid of the wearable type.

It is a further object or the invention to avoid the use of the cord which heretofore has been necessary in wearable hearing aids for establishing a connection between the batteries and the amplifier. By dispensing with this cord various inconveniences caused just by this cord are avoided. Not only is such a cord liable to break, but the rubbing or this cord against the garment of the user or against other parts of the hearing aid which is unavoidable on account of the manner such a hearing aid is worn, will manifest itself in the receiver as noises which will be the more disturbing as they are amplified by the amplifier.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a wearable hearing aid in which the batteries and the electron tube amplifier together with the microphone are so distributed within a single casing that the latter becomes small enough to be worn in a garment pocket of ordinary size.

It is a further object of'the invention to provide a wearable hearing aid which can be worn conveniently in' an outside pocket of the user.

The invention further contemplates to provide a wearable hearing aidwith midget electron tubes 2 having each a plug-in base which can be inserted into a socket whose axis may be arranged at any desired angle to the direction in which the axis of the tube is desired to be located.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear as the description proceeds, reference being had to the accompanying drawings which illustrate by way of example one embodiment of the invention, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a horizontal view, partly in section, of the upper part of a wearable hearing aid according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig; 2;

Fig. 4 is an elevational front view of the hearing aid with the front cover of the casing removed;

Fig. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the tubes.

The hearing aid shown in the drawings comprises a casing A composed of a front cover [0, a lower back cover H and an upper back cover l2. The front cover I 0 and the lower back cover H are connected at the'bottom end of the casing by means of a spring hinge l3 permitting the lower back cover H to be readily opened and closed. Extending across the casing between the side walls [4 and I501 the front cover l0 and integral with this front cover is a partition wall l6 which, together'with a flange 55 of the upper back cover l2 divides the casing A into a lower compartment l"! and an upper compartment 58. The partition wall ['6 is so arranged and shaped that the lower compartment lf'l limited thereby can accommodate two batteries I8 and i9, I8 being a filament supply A -'battery, and 19 a plate supply B-battery. The compartment 58 above the partition i6 is divided lengthwise into two spaces 20 and 21 by means of a' panel 3i secured to lugs of the casing by means of screws 22. A microphone 23 is' mounted at one side of said panel 3| in such a manner as to extend into space 2! and to be situated behind openings 24 of the front cover Hi". The microphon 23 may be of any suitable type" and is preferably a crystal microphone. I

The electron tube amplifier in the amplifier compartment 58* is as comprising three tubes 25, 26", and 21. The amplifier may follow any conventional circuit well known to those skilled in the art and may be; for instance, aresistance coupled amplifier. Since this invention is concerned with the structuralarrangement The electron tubes 25, 26, 21 are midget tubes and their bulbs are preferably of fiat shape. De-

pending on what particular circuit is desired to be used, these tubes may have one or more grids. For example, all three tubes'may be'pentodes.

Each tube 25, 26, and 21 is provided with a base The contact strip 49 has a bent-up flange 54 'which' extends from the battery compartment I1 28, 29, and 30, respectively, arranged at a distance from the corresponding bulb. Thesev bases 28,

29, 39 are fiat discs, their only purpose being to hold contact pins 33 in their proper relationship to each other.

'I'he bulb of each tube is conous elements of the amplifier in at least two paralnected with the base thereof solely by the leading-l in wires 32 which are secured to the pins 33 of the base and a substantial part of the length of these leading-in wires extends freely between the bulb and the base. Sockets 34, 35, and 35 mounted in the panel 3| are provided to receive the pins 33 of the bases 28, 2 9, 30 of the tubes 25, 25, 21. With tubes of the type just described the bulbs may be placed'in any desired position with respect to the panel3| and still be plugged in a socket permanently mounted in said panel. In the example shown, all three tubes 25, 2 6, 27 are arranged in a plane parallel to the panel 3|, that is, in a plane which is rectangular to the direction of the axisof each of the bases 28, 29, 38. While the bulbs are all shown to extend in the horizontal direction each-of these bulbs could extend under any desired angle; to the horizontal direction or, as shown: in Fig. 4 for the tube 26, the bulb of any tube may be so arranged that its axis is some distance above or below the center of the corresponding base. Thereby the best possible use of the available space can be made in each particular case. It will further be seen that each tube 25, 26, or.2| may be easily exchanged without unsoldering the leading-in wires of the old tube and soldering on the leading-in wires of the new tube as has been necessary heretofore with midget tubes for wearable hearing aids, these tubes having been used without a base.

3! denotes a choke coil which is mounted to the same'side of the panel 3| as the microphone 23, with'a small portion of the core of this choke penetrating through an opening in the panel 3 I.

Also at this'side of the panel 3| there is arranged a tone control 38 having a shaft which extends through the panel 3| into the battery compartment H where it ends in a slotted head 39. When the lower back cover H is opened, the

batteries |8, I9 as well as the head 39 of the tone amplifier with the receiver (not shown), -two socket contacts 42 and 43 are provided which 'are secured to the panel 3| at the upper end thereof. Two contact pins 44, 45 of a plug 46 carried by the receiver cord'4-'| may be inserted into the socket contacts, 43. v

Theplug 46 is of small dimensions sinceit carries only the two contact pins 44, 45 for the receiver cord 41. No plug connection is necessary for connecting the batteries l8, IS with the amplifier. Metal strips 48 and 49 sunk intothe under surface of the partition wall l6 are in direct contact with one pole of each of the two batteries I8 and I9, the latter 'being forced against these strips by means of springs 59 and 5|. The

springs 59, 5| at the same time establish the electrical connection between the other pole of the two batteries l8, l9 and a ground plate 52.

into the amplifier compartment 58 and is securedjto the panel 3| by means of a stud or the like. Likewise, the contact strip 48 is provided with a bent-up flange 53 fastened to the panel 3| by means of a stud or'the like 55.

By arranging the microphone 23 and the varilel planes instead of all at the same side of a panel and, in particular, by arrangingthe amplifier tubesoppo'site to the microphone, such as by placing the bulbs o'f the tubes 25, 26, 21 at tlie back side of the panel 3| behind'the microphone 34, a' panel of substantially smaller size can be used than is necessaryif the microphone and all the elements of the amplifier are mounted on the same side of a panel. I More specifically, a panel of so much smaller size can be usedthat in spite of the addition of the height of the batteries the total height of thecombiried amplifier battery unit is not greatenior not substantially greater, than the height of the amplifier-unit alone of conventional hearing'aidsg The thickness of the new instrumentis not greater than.

I required by the thickness of the batteries, that is to say, not greater than" the thickness of the. separate battery unit heretofore used. I have found that I can make my instrument with approximately the same over-all dimensions as are those of the old' amplifier. alone, and that instrument is substantially smaller than the sum cording to the present invention'it maybe men conveniently in an outside pocket be cause the fnumber of units to be placed in pockets is new reduced to a single unit and the cord which heretofore had to .be concealed-is eliminated altoof the weights of the'amplifier'unitand the battery unit heretofore 'used in wearable hearing aids. To give a'n'ex'ample of the overall dimensions and .theweight of instruments built actioned that such instruments-can be easily made as small as about 5i':2i%,x1 "inchesfs'uch an instrument having a total weight ofapproximatelyeightouncesf f l It should be noted wearable instrument. is commonly wornim 'twoinside pockets of the u'serin .order to conceal.

the cord connecting the b'attery' unitwith the amplifier unit, the new instrument may be worn gether. It will be obvious thatthe microphone of the instrument is :better exposed to the oncoming" sounds if theinstrument is placed in an outside pocket.- 7 I desire it tobeunderstood thatwhileI have shownin the drawing acertain embodiment of V the invention, this embodimenthas' been given "by way of example only and that variouschanges, rearrangementgand modifications-may be madewithout departing fromthc spirit of theinvention h ope ithe. p ed aims. 1'. 1

that while the conventional I What I claim is:

1. In a wearable hearing aid of the kind wherein a microphone, an electron tube amplifier having midget tubes and power supply batteries for said amplifier are all enclosed in a flat casing small enough to be worn in an ordinary garment pocket and wherein said microphone and said amplifier are mounted on a panel dividing lengthwise the upper portion of said casing and said batteries are housed in the lower portion of said casing, the combination of a casing having a relatively fixed front wall extending over the entire height of said casing and a back wall composed of an upper back cover and a lower back cover, said two back covers being separately openable relative to said front wall and said lower back cover being supported on a hinge so as to be readily openable without the aid of tools, with the arrangement of said microphone and some of the amplifier elements on that side of the panel which faces said front wall and of the other amplifier elements, including said tubes, on the part of said panel facing said upper back cover.

2. In a wearable hearing aid of the kind wherein a microphone, an electron tube amplifier having midget tubes and power supply batteries for said amplifier are all enclosed in a flat casing small enough to be worn in an ordinary garment pocket and wherein said microphone and said amplifier are mounted on a panel, in combination, a casing having a relatively fixed front wall extending over the entire height of said casing and a back wall composed of an upper back cover and a lower back cover, said two back covers being separately openable relative to said front wall and said lower back cover being supported on a hinge so as to be readily openable without the aid of tools, partitioning means extending from said front wall to said back wall so as to divide said casing into an upper and a lower compartment separated from one another by said partitioning means, said microphone and said amplifier being housed in the upper of said two compartments and mounted so on said panel that said microphone and some of the amplifier elements are on that side of said panel which faces said front wall and the other amplifier elements, including said tubes, on the side of said panel which faces said upper back cover, and said batteries being housed in the lower of said two compartments, said partitioning means being composed of two transverse wall portions one secured to said front wall and the other to said upper back cover, said two transverse wall portions forming together a bottom closure for said upper compartment also when said lower back cover is flung open.

3. In a wearable hearing aid of the kind wherein a microphone, an electron tube amplifier having midget tubes having leading-in wires extending from the outside into the tubes, and. power supply batteries for said amplifier are all enclosed in a fiat casing small enough to be worn in an ordinary garment pocket and wherein said microphone and said amplifier are mounted on a panel, in combination, a front wall and a back wall forming parts of said casing with said front wall extending over the entire height of said casing and said back wall being composed of an upper back cover and a lower back cover, said two back covers being separately openable relative to said front wall and said lower back cover being supported on a hinge so as to be readily openable without the aid of tools, partitioning means extending from said front wall to said back wall so as to divide said casing into an upper and a lower compartment separated from one another by said partitioning means, said microphone and said amplifier being housed in said upper compartment with said tubes being arranged on said panel so as to face said upper back cover, said batteries being housed in said lower compartment, and a plug-in socket for each of said midget tubes mounted in said panel with its axis perpendicular thereto to receive the leading-in wires of its coordinated tube, the end portion of each of the leading-in wires of each tube being bent down at a substantially right angle so that said tubes are pluggable into their sockets and, when so plugged in, said bent-up portions of said leading-in wires extend perpendicularly to said panel and the longitudinal axis of the bulb of each of said tubes extends parallelly to said panel and perpendicularly to the axis of its coordinated socket.

4. A wearable electronic hearing aid as claimed in claim 3, wherein said partitioning means are composed of two transverse wall portions one secured to said front wall and the other to said upper back cover, said two transverse wall portions forming together a bottom closure for said upper compartment also when said lower back cover is flung open.

SAM POSEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 352,084 Drescher Nov. 2, 1886 1,602,056 Tibbs Oct. 5, 1926 1,630,028 Reynolds May 24, 1927 1,688,976 Lum Oct. 23, 1928 2,017,358 Taylor Oct. 15, 1935 2,148,233 Carlson Feb. 21, 1939 2,182,865 Franzblau Dec. 12, 1939 2,192,669 Wengel Mar. 5, 1940 2,308,550 Shapiro Jan. 19, 1943 2,327,137 Shapiro Aug. 17, 1943 2,327,320 Shapiro Aug. 17, 1943 2,327,321 Shapiro Aug. 17, 1943 2,333,028 Merrill Oct. 26, 1943 2,353,348 McLaughlin July 11, 1944 2,424,422 Tresise et al July 27, 1947 2,431,198 Posen Nov. 18, 1947 2,444,302 Lybarger June 29, 1948 

